Orthopedic appliance



Oct. 12, 1937. R. GRENFELL ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE Filed Aug. 24, 1955 Fig. 4.

Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNlTED STAES ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE RichardGrenfell, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, England Application August 24,

1935, Serial No. 37,618

In Great Britain October 9, 1934 4 Claims.

An object of this invention is to provide a device or appliance forcuring or alleviating the disabilities of human feet suffering from whatare known as cramped and hammer toes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned character which shall be readily adaptable to suit difierentsizes of feet and the malformations of diiferent feet.

Another object is to provide such a device which shall be of a hygieniccharacter, whilst a still further object is the provision of a devicewhich shall be simple in construction and application, most comfortableto wear and capable of being constructed at a low cost.

With the above and other objects in view, according to the presentinvention a device or appliance of the kind referred to comprises acushion member adapted to fit under the toes of the wearer andtransversely of the foot and one or more members adjustable on thecushion memher and adapted to extend from said cushion member betweentwo or more adjacent toes of the wearer.

Thus, the pain or discomfort experienced by persons sufiering from cornsor callouses, etc. under the toes or that caused by hammer toes isalleviated by the cushion member, whilst the discomfort of cramped toeswill be relieved by the toe separators. The effect of the cushion memberwill be gradually to straighten the hammer toes and cramped toes willbegradually set into a more natural position.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, one constructionalform of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the combined cushion and toe-separatordevice;

Fig. 2 is an end View corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View, to a smaller scale, of the underside of a foot withthe invention applied thereto; and

Fig. i is a view of part of the top of the foot showing the fitting ofthe toe-separators.

Referring to the drawing:-

The specific constructional form therein illustrated comprises a cushionpart formed by a length l of soft moulded rubber, which may obviously becut by the wearer to a length such that it will suitably extend alongthe little toes but, preferably, not below the big toe. In thisparticular construction there are two toe-separators 2 and 3, each ofwhich is moulded in the form of a. short rubber tube. Each separator isprovided with a rim or flange 4 and each is also formed with a closedend 5 which, in efiect, is a continuation of two diametrically oppositeparts 6 and l of the walls of the separator, diametrically oppositeholes 8 being formed in the said part-s. Thus, in order to build up thecomplete device it is only necessary to pass the tube l 5 through theholes 8 in the separators.

It will be obvious that with the toe-separators formed in the mannerdescribed above, any number (one to four if required) can be positionedupon the cushion tube l. Moreover, the con- 10 struction of theseparators is also such that the distance between the separators canreadily be varied at will to suit the spacing of the toes merely bymoving the separators along the cushion tube l. The rims or flanges 4are not essen- 15 tial, but they add to the appearance of the device andalso act to hold the cushion against movement in a substantiallyvertical direction.

Obviously, neither the cushion tube nor the separators need necessarilybe made of rubber as 20 they can bemade of any other suitable soft andyielding material. Moreover, neither the cushion nor the separators needbe tubular in form. They could be made solid as long as the material wassufficiently soft and yielding not to injure 25 the feet and toes. Ithas been found, however, that making the cushion in the form of anopenended tube has the advantage that a pneumatic cushion is therebyprovided, the wearer actually treading on air contained in the cushionand ex- 30 pelled when the wearer presses downwards. As the foot islifted, of course, the cushion returns to its original shape, so thatthere is a constant intake and expulsion of air into and out of thecushion, an action which is conducive to hy- 35 gienic conditions.

Whether the cushion and (or) the toe-separators are tubular or solidthey need not, of course, be of circular cross section. The separatorscan be of any desired thickness or diameter 40 and they may be so thinas to act to separate the wearers toes by a very small amount.

The manner of fitting the device is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, inwhich figures the separators are shown arranged between the second andthird and the third and fourth toes.

I claim l. A device of the kind described, comprising a tubular cushionmember adapted to fit beneath and transversely across the toes of thewearer, 50 one or more tubular toe-separators adjustably arranged on thecushion member and adapted to separate one or more of the wearers toes,said toe-separators being provided with transverse holes whereby theymay be threaded on and ad- 55 the other end for adjustment in alongitudinal direction along the cushion member.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a cushion member adaptedto fit under the toes of the wearer, transversely of the foot, and oneor more separator members laterally slidable on said cushion member,said toe separator members, being provided with transverse holes wherebythey may be threaded on and adjusted in a longitudinal direction alongthe cushion member.

4. A device of the kind described, comprising a cushion member adaptedto fit under the toes of the wearer transversely of the foot, and one ormore separator members laterally slidable on said cushion member, saidcushion member being open ended and the separators being open at one endand apertured transversely at the other end for adjustment in alongitudinal direction along the cushion member.

RICHARD GRENFELL.

